Unit of measurement for services

Question

I try Googling but couldn't come up with a valid answer.

If I were to create a quotation, what is the correct unit to use for various kind of services. For other object, the unit would be like piece, unit, device, pair, roll, box, etc

For example, heater installation, repairing 3 phones, wiring 2 rooms.

Here is what the quotation template looks like.

From the picture, the unit behind "1" is currently "ea" (default value). I can change this unit to something else. Would it be appropriate to put in "job"? or to omit it completely? or other unit ?

Thanks

Answer 1

In project management, a project is divided into discrete tasks; as ODO defines it, a task is simply

A piece of work to be done or undertaken

This is especially suitable if your organization uses task-based billing, in which services are standardized and prices are charged according to a menu. This turns up in software development, some legal and healthcare services, and some shop work. My auto shop uses a variant in which standard tasks are mapped to traditional worker-hours, e.g. a tire repair is charged at 0.25 hours regardless of whether it actually takes 0.2 hours or 0.75 hours to complete.

Task may not always be suitable; in everyday use it connotes a relatively small-scale or unsophisticated activity, especially one assigned by someone else. On the other hand, task is the term the U.S. federal government uses to describe individual projects when procuring services under certain contracting arrangements. A task order might call for a contractor to replace all the smoke detectors on a military base, or to ship 2500 tons of potatoes from eight sources to a distribution center for disaster relief, or other complex assignments.

As Dan Bron notes, the more traditional method of charging for labor is by the billable hour, with rates varying by the level of experience and expertise but more skilled or experienced workers assumed to be more productive than their less expensive colleagues. Work activity on a particular project might be, besides task, described as a job or a gig, or something specific to the nature of the work and the industry involved: two repairs, five trips, eight installations, three loads, and so on.

Answer 2

Besides 'item of work' or 'item' on its own as mentioned by Andrew Leach I've seen the term 'off' used in this use; for example:

1 off: Install heater.

3 off: Repair phone.

2 off: Wire room.

OED 'Used with a preceding numeral to represent a quantity in production or manufacture, or an item or number of items so produced.'

And from a search it's also been answered on here.... Is "off" also an acronym?

Answer 3

I think the problem comes from how you are trying to use the Qty column.

Qty is short for quantity. Entries could be

• simple numbers, with units of the quantity described in the description column.
• numbers with units such as: hours, dozens, boxes, trips, Kg, lbs, etc.

Adding ea or similar is to attempt to add a units term where none belongs. Which is why it's hard to find to right one - there is no "right" one.

Having said that, it is the case that you are not the first to do this, and entire industries have adopted illogical conventions. If you are serving such an industry, then you should just follow their convention.

Answer 4

If I were to create a quotation, what is the correct unit to use for various kind of services.

In the UK and elsewhere have never seen such a quotation/invoice. The first column heading "item" seems to serve no useful purpose - as it is part of a list, its position is obvious and doesn't require a number.

Quotations/invoices are divided into "parts" and "labour":

Item..unit price.......Qty...total

Hinges ......£10.00..........6.......£60

The list continues. There is then a subtotal for parts. There is a new line and

Labour.....................2hrs......£140

This is followed by a line if there is a tax to be added, and then the final line shows the amount to be paid.